Salvia officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract as Add-on to Statin Therapy in Hypercholesterolemic Type 2 Diabetic Patients: a Randomized Clinical Trial

The efficacy and safety of Salvia officinalis combined with statin have not been evaluated in dy slipidemic diabetes mellitus type 2 (DDMT2) so far. The plant extract antioxidant activity was determined by the DPPH radical scavenging assay. The total flavonoid, tota l phenolic and quercetin contents of the capsules c ontaining the plant extract were also measured. Moreover, the effects of 2-month extract intake (500 mg capsule three times a day) as add-on to daily use of 15 mg glybur ide, 2000 mg metformin and 10 mg atorvastatin on the blood levels of fasting glucose (FG), 2 h postprandial gl ucose (2hPPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholester ol (LDL-C), triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine and body mass index were studied in 50 patients and compared with the placebo group (n=50).The extract IC 50 in the DPPH assay was 87.26±0.003 µg/mL (mean±SD), whereas the ascorbic acid IC 50 was 5.626± 0.001 µg/mL (mean±SD). The total flavonoid, total phenolic and quercetin contents of the capsule containing the pl ant extract were 39.76±3.58 mg of rutin equivalents (mean±SD), 30.33±1.23 mg of gallic acid (mean±SD) and 0.13 mg, respectively. The extract lowered FG, 2hPPG, HbA1c, TC, LDL-C and triglyceride levels, but increased H DL-C level compared to the placebo at the endpoint (P<0. 05). The extract did not affect the other parameter s significantly and no adverse effect was reported. T he extract has substantial antioxidant activity whi ch may be beneficial for the prevention of the cardiovascular complications of DDMT2. Moreover, addition of the extract to statin therapy is apparently safe and further im proves lipid profile.